About Napa Valley Distillery

You wouldn't expect to find craft-spirit fanatics in Napa Valley, but that's the case at Napa Valley Distillery, where bottled cocktails and small-batch spirits are handcrafted. The microdistillery, cofounded by Arthur and Lusine Hartunian, is the first distillery in Napa since Prohibition. The highlight is the family's signature Vintage Reserve vodka, which repurposes the region's sauvignon grapes to update a bar staple. Wine Enthusiast Magazine named it one of the top 50 spirits of 2011, noting that its "crisp, extremely smooth finish (it’s filtered an astounding 10 times) makes it addictively sippable, especially when chilled."

Other spirits include their Old Hollywood Ginn, a speakeasy spirit with nine rare botanicals and hints of oak; their Meyer Lemon Liqueur, which was the family's first concoction; and their other oak-infused cocktails. But you don't have to sneak into one of the barrels and disappear for several weeks to taste the spirits. The entire selection, including a variety of rum and whiskey not available anywhere else, can be sampled at the distillery's new Grand Tasting Salon.